Weirdly enough, the State Surplus Property Agency was recommended to me by a local Cary business…read moreowner. During a day trip in Cary, playing "tourist" we were looking for things to do, and the surplus agency sounded like an adventure. And let me tell you, an adventure it is! You never know what you're going to find at the surplus, but it's all items that have been donated by the state through confiscation [at the airport, drug busts, etc] or from state offices [colleges, government buildings, etc].
When getting to the Surplus, if you're headed down Chapel Hill Road AWAY from Cary, take the second gravel entrance [past the building] and park in front of the chainlink fence. Walk through the chainlink fence and walk up the stairs located to your right. Among other things, you'll possibly be greeted by some trackers or cars initially, and then you walk inside and hit "the good stuff." Everything from old school notebooks, medical equipment, pocket knives, laptops, bullet casings, and bottle openers. You've also got a mix of office chairs, desks and tables mixed in with your random collection of laboratory refrigerators, arcade games a possible piano and lawn chairs. It really can be a hit or a miss at the surplus, and if you're looking for something specific, this might not be the best place to look. However, that being said, if you are looking for a general piece, this place could be perfect for you! I'd say the surplus is most full of desks and chairs, so if you're into recovering/refinishing things this is a great spot to purchase something cheap! Other items go through a bidding system, which is a little more complicated and time consuming, so look for the items that you can take home that day.